James Suckling (94-95)

Very long and straight with a beautiful, fine line of ripe and compressed tannins. Medium-to full-bodied and tight and fresh on the finish. Beautiful cabernet sauvignon is driving this one.

Jeb Dunnuck (94+)

A gorgeous wine, the 2019 Château Pédesclaux shines for its pure, elegant, yet concentrated style, and it's certainly one of the finest vintages from this address. Cassis, black cherries, lead pencil, and violet notes all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. The purity and finesse are truly something here, and while it already offers pleasure, it deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 20+ years.

James Suckling (95-96)

This is very chewy with dusty tannins and blackberry and blueberry character. Some chocolate, too. Full and layered. Such beautiful violet and black-cherry quality at the end with some raspberries, 56% cabernet sauvignon. 34% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot. First year with organic farming. A nice step-up in quality.

James Suckling (95-96)

There is a really pretty, powdery-tannin texture to this, with dark-berry and currant character. Some orange peel, too. It’s full and layered with a sense of precision and focus. Framed and open-grained in the texture. Velvety. Real Pauillac personality here. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. May be better than 2022.

James Suckling (95-96)

There is a really pretty, powdery-tannin texture to this, with dark-berry and currant character. Some orange peel, too. It’s full and layered with a sense of precision and focus. Framed and open-grained in the texture. Velvety. Real Pauillac personality here. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. May be better than 2022.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc aged 15 months in 80% new barrels, the 2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is a gorgeous wine from this team. There's clearly some secondary nuances and solid maturity, yet it's in such a great spot, with currants, smoky tobacco, leather, and spicy nuances all defining the bouquet. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, still present yet polished tannins, and a great finish. It shows beautifully today, with that terrific mix of maturity, richness, and balance, and it should hold here for another 15-20 years with a gradual decline thereafter. Drink 2026-2046.

Wine & Spirit Magazine (96)

Baron was trapped in its oak en primeur, seeming flashy, luscious and soft. Now bottled and shipped, it has the unremitting tannic power of the vintage, balanced by unrelenting purity of fruit that somehow manages to anesthetize the monstrous tannin, to soften the extremely dry, mineral-bound finish into a caress. The wine may be bombastic, but it's also succulent and as sweet as a ripe black raspberry. It's easy to imagine this wine 50 years from now, in impeccable condition.

Decanter (99)

Yet another nose with standout freshness, even delicacy, but still quite youthful, mingling black fruit, spices, and spring flowers. A bit massive and still tightly wound on the palate, the wine has impressive tannic density and power but also finesse, apparent in the airborne, minty finish. Its terroir expression will need some time to come fully to the fore, but this is a superb wine.

Decanter (99)

Yet another nose with standout freshness, even delicacy, but still quite youthful, mingling black fruit, spices, and spring flowers. A bit massive and still tightly wound on the palate, the wine has impressive tannic density and power but also finesse, apparent in the airborne, minty finish. Its terroir expression will need some time to come fully to the fore, but this is a superb wine.

James Suckling (99)

The concentration and largesse of the 2016 Pichon Baron is apparent from the get-go with incredibly alluring, ripe and expansive fruit aromas in the blackberry, dark-cherry, mulberry and plum zone. Espresso and cedar, as well as a slate-like, stony mineral edge add complexity. The palate has incredible depth, drive and detail. Fine and plush tannins stretch the palate in every direction. So fresh and vivacious, this is the greatest Pichon Baron since 1989 and has a long future. Try from 2024.

The Wine Independent (96)

Made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, the 2017 Pichon Baron is deep garnet in color. It races out of the glass with super-charged scents of warm black and red currants, mulberries, and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of Ceylon tea, rose oil, and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is so fine and elegant, with a gorgeous backbone of freshness and densely pixilated tannins, finishing long and fragrant. This is very impressive.

Wine Enthusiast (100)

This great estate in southern Pauillac, facing the Latour vineyard, is at the top of its game. In this release, the tannins are as impressive and dense as the black fruits. Together they form a harmonious ensemble, richly structured, concentrated from the many old vines in the blend, and very ageworthy. Drink from 2027

Wine Enthusiast (100)

As always, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon that sings. It brings an impressive structure to the wine, rich tannins and powerful black fruits. The wine is set for aging. It shows all the power and the open quality of the vintage. Drink from 2027.

James Suckling (97-98)

This young Bordeaux is totally seamless with fine, velvet-like tannins that are integrated and refined. Underlying freshness and verve. It’s full-bodied, linear and long with a compact palate.

Vinous (96)

Dark and brooding in bearing, the 2021 Pichon Baron is a somber, mysterious wine. It is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur. Graphite, leather, spice, mocha and dried herbs meld together in a wine of power, precision and contemporary classicism. It's one of my early favorites in this vintage. I won't be too surprised if it turns out even better than this note suggests.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot aged 18 months in 70% new French oak, the 2023 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is another classic wine from this impeccably run estate, which I suspect is making some of its greatest wines today. Ripe currants, spicy wood, graphite, and tobacco all emerge on the nose, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful mouthfeel, plenty of tannins, and outstanding length. Reminding me of the 2008, and perhaps even the 2019, it’s a very classy, aristocratic style of Pichon Baron that stands out for its balance and length. Give bottles 4-5 years and enjoy them over the following 25+ years. There are roughly 12,600 cases produced. Drink 2030-2060.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

I've been lucky enough to have had the 1982 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande a half dozen times over the past few years and it continues to show magically. Tasted out of a magnum, it has a still lively plum/ruby hue as well as gorgeous Pauillac notes of blackcurrants, smoked earth, cedarwood, pencil lead, and forest floor. It's unquestionably fully mature and in that sweet spot where it has incredible aromatics, beautiful, sweet fruit, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. I don't see it falling off a cliff any time soon, yet there's no need to delay gratification either. This is a magical, heavenly Bordeaux I wish every reader could taste.

The vast majority of buyers and collectors will no doubt be aware of the unbelievable quality of 2009 as a vintage across the entirety of Bordeaux. Touted at the time as the "vintage of the century", the title would have most likely been without question were it not for 2016. We sincerely hope you have plenty of both in your cellars! Only time will tell which has the upper hand... 

 

A wine of complete pedigree, which has never moved from the cellars of Pichon Lalande itself. This is an incredibly rare opportunity to secure a case of something which shall be discussed by critics and experts for decades to come with perfect provenance.

 

"Dense and voluptuous in the glass, with serious richness, 2009 is also almost shockingly tannic. It won’t be ready to drink anytime soon, and yet, there is so much to look forward to" - Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

 

"Combining the best of a vintage such as 1996, in terms of structure, freshness, and precision, with the best of 1982, in terms of opulence, power, unctuosity, and thickness" - Robert M. Parker Jr.

 

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98+)

The 2015 Pichon Comtesse is a towering wine, as it has always been. Rich, sumptuous and totally hedonistic, the 2015 melds together intense fruit with structure. Far from an easygoing wine, the 2015 is going to need a number of years and will then drink well for several decades. Grilled herbs, smoke, new leather and licorice are some of the many notes that are layered into the dark-fleshed fruit for complexity. As good as the 2015 is today, it also has room to grow. Technical Director Nicolas Glumineau has done a tremendous job with the 2015s at Pichon Comtesse. The blend is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, aged 18 months in oak, 55% new.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98+)

The 2015 Pichon Comtesse is a towering wine, as it has always been. Rich, sumptuous and totally hedonistic, the 2015 melds together intense fruit with structure. Far from an easygoing wine, the 2015 is going to need a number of years and will then drink well for several decades. Grilled herbs, smoke, new leather and licorice are some of the many notes that are layered into the dark-fleshed fruit for complexity. As good as the 2015 is today, it also has room to grow. Technical Director Nicolas Glumineau has done a tremendous job with the 2015s at Pichon Comtesse. The blend is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, aged 18 months in oak, 55% new.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

Fragrant, concentrated, savoury, enticing, one of the all-time great Comtesse's. Combines delicately-wrought iris, orange peel and pomegranate, with lean tannins, graphite, cassis and cigar box. You get Pauillac typicity with a fleshy fruit undergone, hard to go wrong. 40hl/h yield, 60% new oak, harvest September 20 to October 20. Nicolas Glumineau in place as director since 2013, making this his 3rd year in the role.

The Wine Cellar Insider (97)

Showing a virtuous depth of color, the wine opens with notes of lead pencil, truffle, smoke, tobacco leaf, vanilla and dark red fruits. The tannins are silky, polished, salty and creamy. The wine is full bodied, velvety and long, delivering complexity, sweetness and length. This a very sensuous wine that comes from blending 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine reached 13.1% alcohol with a pH of 3.78. The harvest took place from September 7, ending October 1.

The Wine Cellar Insider (97)

Showing a virtuous depth of color, the wine opens with notes of lead pencil, truffle, smoke, tobacco leaf, vanilla and dark red fruits. The tannins are silky, polished, salty and creamy. The wine is full bodied, velvety and long, delivering complexity, sweetness and length. This a very sensuous wine that comes from blending 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine reached 13.1% alcohol with a pH of 3.78. The harvest took place from September 7, ending October 1.

The Wine Cellar Insider (99)

With a remarkable depth of color, the wine opens from the glass with touches of espresso, smoke, tobacco, flowers, spice and an array of red and black fruits. Full-bodied, richly textured, opulent, velvety and silken, the wine is off the charts with its decadent sex-appeal. This is a modern day version of the legendary 1982 that will easily age for 3-4 decades without fear. Give it at least 10 years in the cellar before pulling a cork. Bravo to the team of Nicolas Glumineau for producing this incredible wine!

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

Absolutely compelling from the initial swirl, sniff and sip. It takes no time to recognize this as being an incredible, future legendary Bordeaux! The perfume is mesmerizing with its display of flowers, spices, tobacco leaf, cassis, plum and blackberries. But it is the texture, with its layers of silky, perfectly, ripe, sweet fruits that steals the show. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated, the decadent finish, with all its multiple layers sticks with you for at least sixty seconds!

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

Absolutely compelling from the initial swirl, sniff and sip. It takes no time to recognize this as being an incredible, future legendary Bordeaux! The perfume is mesmerizing with its display of flowers, spices, tobacco leaf, cassis, plum and blackberries. But it is the texture, with its layers of silky, perfectly, ripe, sweet fruits that steals the show. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated, the decadent finish, with all its multiple layers sticks with you for at least sixty seconds!

Vinous - Neal Martin (99)

The 2020 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has one of the more opulent aromatic profiles amongst the flight of Pauillac wines, displaying black cherries, cassis, graphite and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins and a silver bead of acidity. Silky smooth in texture, this retains impressive composure toward the finish, handling the weight of fruit with class. It improves with each swirl, though the bottle I tasted just after bottling had a touch more precision. Nevertheless, this a fabulous Pauillac that flirts with perfection. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Vinous - Neal Martin (99)

The 2020 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has one of the more opulent aromatic profiles amongst the flight of Pauillac wines, displaying black cherries, cassis, graphite and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins and a silver bead of acidity. Silky smooth in texture, this retains impressive composure toward the finish, handling the weight of fruit with class. It improves with each swirl, though the bottle I tasted just after bottling had a touch more precision. Nevertheless, this a fabulous Pauillac that flirts with perfection. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96-98)

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Let's start with the good. The 2021 Pichon Comtesse is epic and certainly among the great wines of this vintage. Sadly, the coulure and mildew in the first year of organic farming plus dehydration at the end of the growing season took with it fully two thirds of the crop. In other words, there's not much wine to go around. Rich and sumptuous in the glass, yet clocking in at 12.9% alcohol, the 2021 is beautifully layered and totally sensual from the very first taste. Hints of red fruit, flowers, mint, white pepper and dried savory herbs develop with a bit of coaxing. The Cabernet Sauvignon, at 88%, is very high by historical standards. Quite simply, the 2021 is a tour de force from Technical Director Nicolas Glumineau and his team. If there is one wine readers will absolutely jump on en primeur it is Pichon Comtesse. Should the bottled wine turn out as well as this sample, pricing is likely to jump materially because of the tiny production. Don't miss it.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96-98)

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Let's start with the good. The 2021 Pichon Comtesse is epic and certainly among the great wines of this vintage. Sadly, the coulure and mildew in the first year of organic farming plus dehydration at the end of the growing season took with it fully two thirds of the crop. In other words, there's not much wine to go around. Rich and sumptuous in the glass, yet clocking in at 12.9% alcohol, the 2021 is beautifully layered and totally sensual from the very first taste. Hints of red fruit, flowers, mint, white pepper and dried savory herbs develop with a bit of coaxing. The Cabernet Sauvignon, at 88%, is very high by historical standards. Quite simply, the 2021 is a tour de force from Technical Director Nicolas Glumineau and his team. If there is one wine readers will absolutely jump on en primeur it is Pichon Comtesse. Should the bottled wine turn out as well as this sample, pricing is likely to jump materially because of the tiny production. Don't miss it.